Zouma and Van Ginkel play in Under-23 game
Kurt Zouma took another step towards a first-team comeback by again featuring for Chelsea’s development side on Monday evening.
The French defender, who suffered cruciate knee ligament damage in February, played an hour of a 1-1 draw at Everton, as did Marco Van Ginkel.
It was Zouma’s second Premier League 2 outing in the space of a week, while the game marked Van Ginkel’s return to action following his own knee problem.
Dujon Sterling’s early goal put the visitors ahead before Harry Charsley equalised for Everton shortly before half-time.
Sterling netted after only five minutes, firing home after being set up by Mason Mount.
Mount’s deflected shot hit the outside of the post and Blues forward Ike Ugbo saw an effort saved by keeper Mateusz Hewelt before Charsley found the top corner of the net after combining with Dominic Calvert-Lewin.
Hewelt produced a double save in the second half, keeping out Ugbo’s powerful strike and then Sterling’s follow-up.
Zouma’s outing is a major boost for Chelsea, who hope he will soon resume training with the first-team squad.
Van Ginkel, meanwhile, looks likely to move on when the transfer window reopens in January.
The Dutch midfielder suffered a cruciate injury soon after his move to Chelsea from Vitesse Arnhem in 2013 and since his recovery has been unable to establish himself at Stamford Bridge.
Having previously been loaned to AC Milan and then Stoke, Van Ginkel ended last season back in his native Netherlands, on loan at PSV Eindhoven, who were expected to keep him, but his latest injury scuppered any potential move.
In a post on Instagram ahead of Monday’s game, he declared he was “looking forward” to his comeback.
31/10/2016 @ 4:59 pm
conte must keep on using the young players and
also multivating the players any much
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.make he forget about mourinho and concerntrate on the work ….
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## cfc al the way
## conte keep burning cfc